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I generally order the same, but try a few new items each trip. I am not a prime rib fan, but ordered it last three cruises on my wife's recommendation. Last cruise the meat was rare instead of medium rare, so I won't order it again. Some entrees,  as stated, aren't great, like lasagna or spaghetti, but they are ok. Ok with a nice dessert and a glass or two of wine works for me. Lunch in MDR can surprise you; the lamb pita was outstanding a week ago.

5 hours ago, Traveling Mike said:

I just went to Sitka and got on line and made a reservation for the bus.  I got a time for going to town and coming back.  When I got to the busses there was not a line and they did not ask about the reservation.  The same coming back.  Now i do not know what it will be like in the summer or when there are a couple of ships docked.  It does not cost anything and in case you need it, you might save a wait in line for a bus.

And weather is a factor. Aside from sunny Vancouver, we had light or heavy rain in all ports. The Sitka town bus line was short when we arrived about noon. I won't go to Alaska in May again.

10 hours ago, JasonOasis said:

Excellent read.  

The amount of growth the industry has seen especially here in the US from 2019 through 2024 is impressive. In reality the growth wasn't over that entire time period it really been since 2022. To go from 15.4 million to 20.5 million passenger annually really over a span of 3 years (not counting 2020 or 2021) is again impressive.

 

Another thing I found interesting is the fact that that over 70% of cruises are on small and midsize ships.  In recent years large and mega size ships have been in the spotlight but they make up less than 30% of the global cruise industry fleet.   There truly is something out there for everyone and every price point from the most budget conscious cruiser to ultra exclusive luxury cruises to those looking for expedition cruises the market is growing across all spectrums.   Even river cruises which were referenced in the report are seeing growth which helps explain why Royal Caribbean Group is looking at expanding Celebrity Cruises into the river cruise market in the coming years.

 

To your point, we've booked two River cruises since Royal's Med itineraries aren't appealing.

5 minutes ago, pat8635 said:

Royal sent an email about having to book shuttle with excursions and the excursions make is seem like shuttle is included. 

 

Anybody do that this year?

 

Thanks!

Just got back from Sitka, and I had posed the same question before our cruise. Our excursion group met in the theater, walked off the ship, and arrived at our own bus. The email is for folks without excursions who want to go into town. Our excursion included otter/whale watching, and we returned by boat next to the Serenade.

18 hours ago, Icon vaccation said:

Hello. Is there enough time to enjoy the private island in one day. My kids are doing the snorkeling and thrill water park but will they also have enough time do the other activities like the pools? Also, just watched the new Royal Caribbean blog video on Perfect day at Coco Cay. Matt said that he didn’t recommend the snorkeling but would a 13 and 16 year old enjoy it who have never gone snorkeling?

I have snorkeled several times off the beach at Coco Cay, but with my own equipment. Agree with Matt and others that a teen would not enjoy at first time. First snorkeling experience needs to be a guided excursion at a good spot.  Choppy waves can foul snorkel and cause a novice to panic. And jelly fish can be present.

The free shuttle  at Sitka will take you into town or downtown Juneau. Plenty of Mendenhall transportation. PS. The otters, Raptors and bears is good, but don't pay more than 250 at Sitka. If you do just a single stop, I recommend Raptor Center over bears.

The 5 pm on Serenade became 445 pm this week. Too early!

On 4/1/2025 at 12:45 PM, WAAAYTOOO said:

Sept 19 on Anthem will also be our first Alaska cruise.  Hard to believe with all of the cruising that we have done over the past 18 years we have still NOT made it to AK yet.  Please be sure and provide some thoughts and info on your experience !

At Sitka and Juneau our excursions met in theater and operator provided bus transport; didn't use shuttle that walk offs needed to get to town. Recommend Sea otters, Raptors, and Bears excursion at Sitka. Did see whale, sea lions, eagles and otters. Rained in Juneau but Royal put umbrellas in room. Tracy Arm Fjord fantastic, but you need to get up at 6 am on our itinerary. Mendenhall glacier crowded. Skip visitor center and walk to Nugget Falls.

In Vancouver now and everyone uses CC. But I have Canadian dollars just in case. Bank ATM is a good resource. We leave cash for housekeeper and shuttle bus  drivers. I agree with Matt that it's not a major issue.

4 hours ago, need2cruz said:

We bring both.  I keep the passport book locked in the room safe and carry the card with us.  If you needed to fly home in an emergency, the cruise line is supposed to get the passport book out for you and leave it with the port authority for you.  I personally don't want to carry my full book with me on excursions and at beaches and such.

+1

Passport, in case you fly home from wherever. Murphys Law, etc.

In Vancouver now and nice weather! Loved the immigration kiosks at airport. Easy Uber ride to hotel. Won't try to sail Memorial Day weekend again due to high hotel prices, though. Plenty of eateries downtown. Cheers!

6 hours ago, Lisa Bullard and Howard said:

You will probably need to hire an attorney. 

An old post, but to your point, many folks plan for travel insurance and sensible packing as preventive measures. We also take our own luggage off at disembarkation. Lost luggage is always going to be frustrating. I think the days of taking expensive clothing and jewelry on cruises are gone except for what fits in your carryon.

Sorry for the unsympathetic and even sarcastic comments you received. The show you experienced seems to have been poorly run. But as others have stated, it's not for everyone. We avoid the Quest and all adult comedians, having tried once. There are so many other entertainment options on Royal, and some should appeal to you. We always have fun.

Haven't snorkeled there, but saw lots of coral washed ashore. Try 3rd party operators or resort day pass that features snorkeling. 

Whichever ship has the best pastry chefs!

5 minutes ago, JimnKathy said:

If we get dinged on our upcoming September cruise, I'll be visiting guest services to remove all of my prepaid gratuities and let them know they lost several hundred bucks for the sake of gouging me for $15 or $25 or $42.

Gotta send a tough love message to the corporate finance and marketing folks.

I'm guessing that hurts staff more than RCL management. Just a thought.

20 minutes ago, Atlantix2000 said:

I can afford a button down shirt just fine but I never wear them to work so why would I wear one on vacation?  The minimum allowed is stated as "no swimsuits".  That's it.  Your expectations are what is wrong.

I don't think it is unrealistic to expect an adult to act like an adult in a venue that is, well adult-like. So whatever you choose to do, be respectful. We've dressed in casual clothes absent our suitcases, so I understand there are many factors involved as well as cultural differences. But please don't jump all over OP for expressing an observation. You are entitled to yours as well.

PS.  I wasn't going to say anything until you used the word "wrong".

If you don't buy right after booking, say within 2 weeks, you lose coverage for preexisting medical conditions. That may or may not be important to you. And premium can go up if you wait too long. Edit. Allianz allows you to adjust dates of travel if your travel plans change after purchase.

10 hours ago, Cole Thornton said:

Just got off of Harmony and there were those that clearly and totally disregarded all attempts by Royal to hold some standard for the MDR.  I think people nowadays just don’t care how they present themselves, and don’t tell me they cant afford to some slacks and a button down, but can pay the price for cruise and drink package.  At a minimum go to GoodWill store and buy some clothes.  It is evident that they couldn’t care less.  You have to feel sorry for their kids who are old enough to realize their folks are slobs.  You can see the embarrassment in their faces.  And before anyone gets worked up, I’m not talking about those dressed in nice shorts or slacks and nice shirts.  This is pointed at the guy in his flip flops, daisy dukes and a wife beater undershirt.  I wish Royal would stop picking and choosing which rules they are going to enforce.  Maybe it would help for them to add what the minimum allowed is with what they are suggesting.  Only a fool would not recognize that the decor and formality of the MDR speaks to proper attire.

Yes, there are always those who, for whatever reason, don't follow instructions. But getting too worked up about it doesn't help your cruise experience. I have given up trying to change others' behavior in such matters as it doesn't really hurt anyone. But I do notice.  Still, we have more serious problems to address...

3 hours ago, Icon vaccation said:

Thank you! So I don’t need to enroll now and will just be automatically enrolled after my cruise? 

Correct.

My pet peeve is slow response to emails about hotel and air arrangements. Everything else is great, but I may switch to someone who replies in a day with "I'm still looking for best arrangements".

17 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Thanks.  We got the same email and had the same question.  I didn’t think it made sense to go to town to meet an excursion but we’ve never been there before so had no clue !

When I dug deeper, I realized our meeting time was soon after arrival at the pier. That is consistent with what Ryan79 shared. No worries.

We enjoyed Giovanni's Table on Brilliance. Great food and service. They even let us in early. 

Just received Royal's email to reserve shuttle seats at Sitka. However, we have an excursion. Are we already guaranteed seats, as in tendering, or must we book seats? Excursion description is silent on meeting place. Any early Alaska travelers who can confirm?